Reel drum



April 25, 1939. H. c. PORTER REEL DRUM 2 Sheets-Sheet l original Filed Aug. y4, 193e m@ @WM April 25, 1939. I H. c. PORTER REEL DRUM Original Filed Aug. 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iZ/efoy: Half/@2R27 C Z701 fel Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT REEL DRUM Original application August 4, 1936, Serial No. 94,199. Divided and this application November 15, 1937, Serial No. 174,526

Claims.

My invention relates to reel drums.

It will be illustrated and described as embodied in a drum particularly adapted to receive and revolubly support coils of metallic package- 5 binder strap.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved reel-drum.

Another object is to provide a drum having a barrel for receiving and holding the load (e. g., coils of strap), and two heads for retaining the load upon the barrel, which may be easily and quickly separated for the reception of its load and easily and quickly reassembled for use.

Another object is to provide a separable-section reel-drum, the parts of which can be securely locked together against the possibility of inadvertent separation.

A further object is to provide a drum which may be readily applied to an axle support to form a reel.

A further object is to provide a drum which is readily adaptable to braking to control the discharge of the strap load.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the acompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a drum, and a supporting stand therefor, to constitute a complete portable strap-reel;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the assembled drum;

Fig. 3 is a perspective, on a reduced scale, of the two separable complementary sections constituting the drum, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged inside view of one of the drum-section hubs.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 94,199 filed August 4, 1936.

In general, my improved drum comprises two complementary sections, each section forming one head and a part of the barrel, which, at their hubs, are joined by a separable clutch that can be engaged and disengaged by a slight relative rotational movement between the drum sections.

Referring first to Figs. 2 and 3, the vdrum chosen to illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention comprises two complementary generally circular disc-like sheet metal members I Il and II which together constitute the coilretaining sections thereof Each coil-retaining section, which preferably is made from a single piece of sheet steel, is formed with a generally cylindrical coil-supporting surface I2 or I3, which is substantially parallel to the drum axis or axis of rotation, a head flange I4 or I5, which projects radiallyoutward from one end of the coil-supporting surface I2 or I3, respectively, and a centrally disposed hub-supporting web I6 or II, which extends radially inward from the other end of the coil-supporting surface I2 or I3, respectively.

From a distance inwardly from its coil-supporting surface each web I 6 or I'I is formed with a substantially flat portion I8 or I9 which lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis,- i. e., the web portions I8 and I9 are parallel when the drum is assembled, as will be hereinafter" i described and as best shown in Fig. 2. Inwardly of its axially perpendicular portion i8 or I9 (i. e., nearer to the axis than such perpendicular portions I8 or I9), each web is flared outwardly toward the axis to form a cup or frusto coneshaped intermediate portion 20 or 2 I, respectively. Centrallyv each web is apertured to accommodate an .axially disposed hub-section to 'be presently described and about this aperture the web is again formed substantially perpendicular to the axis to provide parallel spaced hub-attaching flanges 22 and 23.

When the two coil-retaining sections are brought together with their axes in alignment and the outer parallel web portions I8 and I9 face to face and in contact, the two complementary coil-supporting surfaces I2 and I3 constitute the barrel of the drum and the flanges I4 and I5 constitute the retaining heads thereof.

A metallic hub-section 30 is accommodated within the aperture of vand located coaxially with coil-supporting section I0. Preferably this hubsection is generally cylindrical in shape and hollow, It may be formed by casting. It has an outwardly projecting annular flange 3| whereby it may be rigidly attached to the inner flange 22 of coil-retaining section Ill by rivets 32 or other appropriate means; and it also has two inwardly directed flanges 33 and 34 which form or are drilled through and bored to provide axially aligned holes for the accommodation of a cylindrical supporting axle which has its bearings in flanges 33 and 34. The forward or inner end of this hub-section is formed to provide an arcuate hook-like clutch member 35 having axially the shape of a wedge. That is, the inner face 36 of the hook slopes from the point 3'! axially outwardly relative to the inner face 38 so that the width of the clutch member increases toward the root of the hook whereas the slot 39 between the hook and the body portion tapers in the reverse direction,

In like manner coil-supporting section Il has a similar axially arranged hub-section 40 rigidly secured in the central aperture thereof. Hubsection 40 has inwardly directed flanges 4| and 42 which provide, for the axle, other bearings in alignment with those provided by flanges 33 and 34 of hub-section 3D; and it has an arcuate hook'- like clutch member 43 formed in its front or inner end identical in construction and to cooperate with clutch member 35. The coacting wedge-shaped surfaces of members 35 and 43 are so related to each other that when the hub-sections are brought into alignment and closely enough together to cause the tips thereof to overlap slightly, relative rotation between the hubsections for only a fraction of a full revolution in one direction will, by the entering of the hook of one into the slot of the other, cause the clutch members to interlock or mesh and draw the coilretaining sections tightly together with a wedging action to form a rigid drum. Rotation of the drum sections in the reverse direction causes the wedging action to release and, when the tips of the clutch members have passed each other, the two drum sections to be uncoupled so that they may be separated.

In order to load the drum, the two sections are rotated to disengage the clutch members and then separated. Now, with one section in any desired position-preferably lying more or less flatly with its head down-the coil of material, such as package-binder strap, is positioned upon the coil-supporting surface or shoulder thereof. Next, the other drum section is placed in alignment with the section bearing the coil and the two hubsections are brought together so that the tips of their clutch members overlap slightly. Finally, a partial rotation of one clutch member relative to the other will cause the clutch members to engage more completely and the wedge-shaped cooperating surfaces thereof will draw the drinn sections tightly together and hold them together to constitute a rigid complete coil-holding drum until such time as it may be necessary or advisable to separate them. As previously described, disengagement of the clutch members and separation of the drum sections may be effected by rotation in the reverse direction. It will thus be readily apparent that my drum may be easily and quickly loaded because the sections are readily separated, the load is readily applied to one of the separated sections, and the sections with the load are readily brought and clamped together,- in which condition they will remain until the time arrives to separate them.

Preferably the inner ends of hub-sections 30 and 40 are made sufficiently short so that even when the clutchmembers are fully engaged there remains a slight clearance 45 between the tip of hub-section 4B and the body of hub-section 3D and a similar clearance 46 between the tip of hub-section 30 and the body of hub-section 40. By providing this clearance and having the are of the mid portions 20 and 2l of the slightly resilient drum sections sufficient normally to retain the hub-sections somewhat farther apart than they can be forced by the wedging and drawing together action of their clutch members, the clutch members are retained tightly together when they are interlocked and inadvertent separation is prevented. In order to be separated there must rst be a forced relative rotation in the proper direction. Another advantage will presently appear.

My improved drum will accommodate a supporting axle, such as the screw bolt 50, whereby 5 it may be suspended for free rotation to facilitate withdrawal of strap therefrom. By way of example, it is shown in Fig. 1 as suspended from hook-shaped brackets 5i of a portable reel-stand, the side frames of which are somewhat flexible. 10

The supporting hooks lie between the outer end of hub-section 46 and the head of the axle on one side of the drum and between the end of hubsection 30 and the nut (wing type shown) on the other side of the drum. When so suspended an 15 adjustable braking friction may be exerted upon the drum by turning the axle nut to force the supporting hooks more tightly against the outer ends of the rotatable hub-sections. As the nut is turned to increase further the braking effect, the 20 cup or frusto cone-shaped portions of the drum sections may be slightly and transiently distorted,-such distortion being permitted by the clearance 45 and E at the ends of the hub-sections. Conseduently, the braking friction is be- 25 tween members which are resiliently biased towards each other and thus rendered more certain, uniform and easily adjustable. The distortion of the cup-shaped portions of the drum-sections can be carried only to the slight amount 30 permitted by the clearance between the inner ends of the hub-sections because the butting together of the inner ends of the hub-sections serves as a limit beyond which the hub-sections cannot be caused to approach. Thus, an operator cannot 3g, inadvertently apply so much braking pressure as excessively or permanently to distort the drum sections.

In assembling the two drum sections for the holding of a coil of strap, as previously described, the axle or a pin loosely fitted through the central bores of the section clutch members will facilitate the proper alignment of these clutch members so that the tips thereof may be quickly and easily brought into the proper relation to insure that the clutch members interlock when the sections are relatively rotated.

Having thus illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Pat-` ent is as follows: 50

1. A drum for holding coiled material comprising a pair of separable complementary coil-retaining sections, each section being formed to provide a coil-supporting surface about and sub-fr, stantially parallel to the drum axis, a head "u flange projecting radially outward from the outer end of the coil-supporting surface, and a centrally apertured hub-supporting web extending radially inward from the inner end of the coilsupporting surface; a pair of hub-sections, one 60 hub-section being secured to each coil-retaining section in the aperture thereof to align axially with the hub-section similarly related to the other coil-retaining section when the coil-re-fY Q. taining sections are brought together with their webs face to face; and complementary clutch members at the inner ends of the two hub-sections, each of said clutch members including an arcuate wedge-shaped hook and a reversely ta-ffo pering slot, the hook of one wedging into the slot of the other to couple the drum sections tightly together by relative rotation in one direction and to uncouple them upon relative rotation in the reverse direction. 1,35

2. A drum for holding coiled material comprising a pair of separable complementary coil-retaining sections, each section being formed to provide a coil-supporting surface about and substantially parallel to the drum axis, a head flange projecting radially outward from the outer end of the coil-supporting surface, and a centrally apertured hub-supporting web extending radially inward from the inner end of the coil-supporting surface, the coil-supporting surfaces constituting the drum barrel and the flanges constituting the drum heads when the two coil-retaining sections are placed in axial alignment with their webs together; and a pair of hub-sections, one hubsection being secured to each coil-retaining section in the aperture and on the axis thereof so as to align with the hub-section similarly related to the other coil-retaining section when the coilretaining sections are brought together in axial alignment and with their webs face to face, the inner end of each hub-section having an arcuate hook-like tapering clutch member and a reversely tapering slot that cooperate with a like clutch member of the other hub-section to clamp together and to release from each other the coilretaining sections when they are relatively rotated in opposite directions.

3. A drum for holding coils of metallic binder comprising a pair of separable complementary coil-retaining sections, each section being formed from a single piece of sheet metal to provide a generally cylindrical coil-supporting surface, a head flange projecting radially outward from one end of the coil-supporting surface, and a clutchsupporting web extending radially inward from the other end of the coil-supporting surface and having a portion radially outward from the axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axis and another portion nearer the axis that is inclined with, respect to the axis and is axially resilient, the coil-supporting surfaces constituting the drum barrel and the flanges constituting the drum heads when the two coil-retaining sections are brought together in axial alignment with the portions of their webs that are substantially perpendicular to the axis in contact with each other; and a clutch member for each coil-retaining section, said clutch members having cooperating tapering arcuate hooks and. reversely tapering slots that interlock to draw the coil-retaining sections together against the resilience of the inclined portions thereof.

4. A drum for holding coils of metallic strap comprising a pair of separable complementary coil-retainingsections, each section being formed to provide a generally cylindrical coil-supporting surface, a head flange projecting radially outward from one end of the coil-supporting surface, and a hub-supporting webextending radially inward from the other end of the coil-supporting surface and having a portion radially outward from the axis that is substantially perpendicular to the axis and another portion nearer the axis that is inclined with respect to the axis and is axially resilient, the coil-supporting surfaces constituting the drum barrel and the flanges constituting the drum heads when the two coil-retaining sec.- tions are brought together in axial alignment with the portions of their webs that are substantially perpendicular to the axis in contact with each other; a pair of hub-sections, one hub-section being secured to each coil-retaining section to align axially with the hub-section similarly related to the other coil-retaining section when the coil-retaining sections are brought together with their webs face to face; and complementary clutch members at the inner ends of the two hub sections, said clutch members being engageable and disengageable by relative rotation between the hub-sections and having tapering arcuate hook-like portions and reversely tapering slots that cooperate to draw the two coil-retaining sections together against the resilience of the inclined portions thereof.

5. A drum for holding coiled material comprising a pair of separable complementary coilretaining sections, at least one section being formed to provide a coil-supporting surface lying substantially parallel to the drum axis and both sections being formed to provide head flanges at opposite ends of the coil-supporting surface and centrally apertured hub-supporting webs; and a pair of hub-sections, one hub-section being secured to each coil-retaining section at the central aperture thereof and the two hub-sections having complementary arcuately shaped tapering clutch members and reversely tapering slots that cooperate to clamp the two coil-retaining sections together when they are brought into axial alignment and relatively rotated.

HOWARD c. PORTER. 

